


Chasing Tail

by Wintermoth



Series: The Adventures of Adrienbug and Chat Mari [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ...who am I kidding? LOL TOO LATE HE GONE, F/M, He can't handle her tail, It's all her fault, LOOOLL BLAME KRYALLAORCHID FOR THIS TITLE OK???, Poor Bug is doomed and he doesn't even realize it, Powerswap AU, The Adventures of Adrienbug and Chat Mari, somebody help him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-24 03:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6139258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wintermoth/pseuds/Wintermoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was absolutely adorable and, oh, crap he was so screwed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Staring

**Author's Note:**

> Here you are, in honor of the Origins episode, I'm posting this earlier than I'd intended.

_Tap, tap, tap_.

He wasn't staring.

 _Tap, tap, tap_.

No, not at all.

He was definitely not staring at the strange black pseudo-appendage protruding from his partner's lower back. He absolutely was not wondering for the twenty-ninth time (this week) what it was made out of. (Not the same material as the rest of her outfit, it looked too soft.) He also certainly was not thinking that it had a mind of its own as the tip of it pattered against the roof.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Some people tapped their feet when they were thinking. Others drummed their fingers, twisted their lips, or rubbed their chins. Chat Noire flicked her tail. It was a subtle motion, not enough to attract attention, and it certainly wouldn't make any sound if they weren't both perched on the edge of a rooftop.

Did she realize she was doing it? Was it instinctual or intentional? He was almost certain she couldn't feel it. He'd stepped on it a few times and she hadn't reacted other than expressing annoyance. He really wanted to ask her but he wasn't sure he should. They'd only been partners for a few weeks and he didn't want her thinking he was some creep who'd been spending their time together staring at her backside. Especially when he's supposed to be brainstorming for a solution to their latest akuma problem.

_Tap, tap—_

The end of her tail flipped up, curling slightly in excitement. In the same instant, Chat Noire snapped her fingers. "That's it!"

Ladybug blinked and looked up at her face just as Chat turned. "What?" he asked dumbly. _Smooth, Adrien_. At least she hadn't caught him staring.

"The toys, Bug!"

"What about them?"

"Didn't you notice? His toys were old. Handmade."

"Not all of them," he pointed out.

Their current foe called himself Toymaker and was doing a damn good job of living up to his name. He could create demonic toys out of thin air and seize control of any toy around him, creating an annoying, pint-sized army. Honestly, it had been going well enough up until he'd unleashed the Legos. Even through the sturdy soles of his boots, those little monsters _hurt_. Ladybug had fly them outta there because they were ashamedly defenseless against a million Legos underfoot and an army closing in on all sides. The Toymaker had disappeared and now, an hour later, with both kwamis refreshed and at full power, they were trying to figure out where he could've gone.

The only problem was that Toymaker didn't seem to want anything. He wasn't screaming about a wrongdoing or targeting anyone or thing specifically. All he wanted to do was cause havoc and make toys.

"No, no." Chat Noire shook her head. "The toys he was controlling don't count. The ones he was conjuring all looked handmade."

"I…you're right," he realized. Teddy bears, wooden soldiers, Jacob's Ladders, dolls….

Chat Noire nodded. "There's this really old toy store near my—I mean, I used to go there when I was little. It's owned by the same couple who opened it sixty years ago. They have some brand toys but a lot of their stock are one of a kind, things he made by hand. I still have a few somewhere, actually. They're amazing and really good quality."

 _She's so animated_ , Ladybug thought to himself. Her emotions were like an open book. Excitement danced in her blue, feline eyes, her ears stood at attention, and her tail flicked from side to side every few seconds as she spoke.

But then her expression fell and her ears drooped. "…His wife died about a month ago," she added soberly.

Ladybug sucked in a sharp breath. "I see," he said softly. "And you think the Toymaker is the widower."

"I could be wrong," she said. "It's at least worth looking into. Don't you think?"

He nodded. "Lead the way, Chat."

He was getting used to following her, running alongside her, even leading her sometimes because he knew that all he had to do was look over his shoulder and he'd be able to see her right behind him. She would either have a look of concentration or a huge grin on her face, as lost in the thrill as he was. They were getting better at this. The city's rooftops were a chaotic maze, an obstacle course that was never quite the same twice, but it was getting easier to navigate. Familiar routes were being established and their bodies began remembering exactly what to do and when. He was getting stronger and she was getting more graceful, if that was even possible.

The brief hours he spent with her were the best part of his day and, if he was honest, his recent life. He'd never really had friends before—acquaintances, sure, internet friends, yeah, but neither were the same as having someone who he could simply _be_ with. Well, except for Chloe, but Chloe had changed recently and she had never been like Chat Noire. With Chloe there were rules, some unspoken, others not. There were requirements and _acceptable behaviors_ and topics which could never be broached. In all the years he'd known her, she had never even come close to what Chat Noire had become in just a few short weeks.

He couldn't explain it, his vocabulary lacking the words to describe what his masked partner was slowly becoming to him, but he knew he wanted to be around her. He loved her company, he loved hearing her voice, and he loved how _free_ he could be with her. Whether she was his age or not, with her, he could be just a kid. There was no pressure, no family name to uphold, no image to maintain. He was just _Ladybug_.

For this, he could tolerate their masks staying on. Yet more than anything, he wanted to be able to know her as herself. He was sure that he could convince her, one day. Someday.

He would take what he could get in the meantime.

As he followed her across the rooftops, he found his eyes drawn once again to her tail. Unlike an ordinary belt, her tail streamed out behind her as she ran, always held carefully aloft. She was using it for balance, she had to be. It plus the catlike reflexes of her suit allowed her to execute moves he didn't even dare attempt.

Ladybug recognized the change in her posture and knew that she was slowing down, meaning they were almost to their destination. He slowed down to a brisk jog and finally a walk when he saw her stop on the edge of a rooftop. She crouched down, using one hand for balance and the other she rested on her leg. Her tail curled to the side, resting on the edge of the stone.

He stood on the opposite side as her tail lest he accidentally step on it and followed her gaze to a storefront across the street. It was dark inside but he could see a myriad of toys in the display. A sign hung on the inside of the door that said: 'Closed'. The curtains in the apartment above were drawn tight.

"Should we try to go in?" he asked.

Chat Noire shook her head. "Only if we have to. We should probably ask the neighbors first. They might at least know where he is."

"Good idea."

Chat Noire straightened up and pulled her yo-yo from her belt. "I'll take the left, you take the right, and we meet back up here when we're done."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Chat Noire swung away and Ladybug pulled out his staff, extending it, and jumped off the roof. He rotated it over his head like a helicopter blade and it slowed his descent. His knees bent under him as he touched down but otherwise it was a solid landing. He really was getting better. Chat Noire was already disappearing inside the store, a small boutique by the looks of it, and he turned his attention to the shop on the other side of the toy store. And groaned.

It was a small market. The Toymaker's untimely arrival had occurred right in the middle of Adrien's lunch and he'd managed to ignore his anger up until this point. Couldn't _she_ have picked the store with the food?

People had already taken notice of his arrival and he quickly schooled his features. He ignored people who called his name, other than to smile briefly, and walked into the store. He shut the door behind him and glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head slightly at the two people who were trying to follow him in. Their expressions fell but they took the hint.

There was a gasp. "Oh my god. Ladybug?!"

Ladybug turned with a polite smile on his face and lifted his hand in greeting to the woman behind the counter. "Good afternoon, madame."

She was middle-aged, dark-skinned, and so excited he was surprised she wasn't jumping up and down. "What can I do for you?" she asked eagerly.

"Are you aware of the akuma currently on the loose?"

She shook her head. "No, why? Am I in danger?"

"No, not to worry. I don't believe so. Chat Noire and I are trying to puzzle out the motivation behind the akuma's actions in an attempt to locate him. You might be able to help."

"I'll try." She folded her hands on the counter. "What can I do for you?"

"The toystore next door. What do you know of the owner?"

Her expression turned sad. "Up until last month, it was owned by Clement and Francine Royer. Francine passed away of natural causes and poor Clement…"

Ladybug nodded. "I understand. Do you know if anything…stressful happened to him very recently?"

Her eyes widened. "You think it's him."

"We suspect. The akuma goes by the name 'the Toymaker' and he creates an army of toys to do his bidding. Toys like the ones made and sold in the shop next door."

The shopkeeper's expression was guarded as she considered him. Of course she would feel protective of him. No matter how long she had been here, Clement and Francine had always been next door. She probably knew them quite well, was even friends with them. And here Ladybug was, an outsider, implying that a man she undoubtedly felt sympathy for in light of recent events, was a monster bent on overrunning Paris. "That's not a lot to go on," she finally replied.

"No," he agreed. "However, as it is right now, we don't have much else. The akuma has gone to ground and we have to find him. If it is Mr. Royer, then anything you tell me could help." Ladybug took a few steps towards the counter, stopping just shy of touching it. "Madame, we don't want to hurt him and we're not accusing him of anything. Akumas are victims and it's our job to free them. Help me to help him."

The shopkeeper regarded him for another long minute before sighing heavily and nodding. "He comes in every day or so for fresh fruit. Always him, ever since their son moved on. He's always been a fatherly man, even to me and I'm nearly half his age!" Her smile was bittersweet. "Francine, too, she was a lovely woman. Clement loved her more than anything, even his work. The store was their life. Theirs together. The day she died, he closed it and hasn't reopened it since. I don't know what he's doing for income. I've started giving him apples for free. I heard the baker up the road gives him bread for free now, too. He…doesn't look good."

 _Oh crumbs,_ Tikki whispered and Ladybug nearly jumped. _Ask her if something set him off. It's important._

"Was there anything that could have set him off today?" Adrien asked. "Further bad news?"

"I don't know. He didn't come in this morning like I was expecting. I haven't had a chance to go next door and check on him yet. Would you like to?"

"Is there a way inside?" Ladybug asked. "We weren't going to break in unless we had to."

The shopkeeper nodded. "All of the buildings in this stretch have openable skylights. Someone like you should be able to open it with ease from the outside."

He held up his hand and pulled out his baton, activating the communicator. The baker watched, wide-eyed, and her jaw dropped when it began to ring.

Chat's face appeared a few seconds later with the sky as the backdrop. The boutique musn't have been useful. _"What did you find?"_

"The woman here wants us to check in on Mr. Royer next door. She says there's a way in through the roof."

Chat Noire nodded. _"On my way."_ Then she hung up.

Satisfied, he clicked his baton shut. The shopkeeper gaped for a moment longer then pointed at his baton. "I want one of those."

He cracked a grin. "Sorry, one of a kind. Thank you for your help, madame."

She nodded. "You're welcome."

"I'll come back and tell you if he's home. If I don't come back, assume he wasn't."

"Alright."

Ladybug turned to go when all of a sudden, his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud rumble. He winced, glancing at the shopkeeper to see if she'd heard, and knew from the amused expression on her face that she had. "Er…sorry. Hero work doesn't leave much time for lunch."

"Kid, when was the last time you ate?"

"Um…this morning?"

"And I'll bet your partner isn't much better. Grab a couple apples on your way out."

Ladybug selected two of the largest apples he could find, stuffed them in his suit pockets, thanked the woman again, and left the store. People were loitering outside, no doubt waiting to see him when he emerged. He noticed a few people filming or trying to take pictures. He didn't pause to humor them, using his baton to launch himself towards the rooftop, and then disappeared over the side.

Chat Noire was waiting for him a feet away, crouched next to the skylight that must lead into Mr. Royer's home. Her tail, he noticed, was lying flat behind her and her ears stood at attention. She cocked her head to the side curiously. "What do you have there?"

"Lunch," he explained, pulling the apples from his pockets. "Courtesy of the woman below." He tossed one to her and she caught it deftly. "Hope you like apples."

"Love them," she replied. "Thanks." She took a bite out of it and lifted her hand to cover her mouth as she asked, "I take it you had better luck than I did?"

"Maybe." He walked towards her. "She says he hasn't been doing so hot. The shop hasn't been open since his wife died. She and the baker have been giving him free food and she has no idea where his income is coming from."

Chat Noire nodded. "I knew the shop hadn't been open but not the rest. You think it's him, then?"

"I'd say it's a definite possibility," he agreed, lifting the apple to his mouth. "But is grief enough to draw in akuma?"

 _Yes_ , Tikki said immediately and Chat Noire echoed him a moment later. Her kwami must've told her the same.

He bobbed his head to the side in acknowledgement. "Alright." He finally sank his teeth into the apple and exhaled through his nose. It was sweet. Swallowing, he took another bite, and knelt down to have a better look at the skylight. It was clearly openable but there was no immediately obvious way to do so from the outside. No problem. They'd gotten through more secure entrances already.

He glanced at his partner again. She was looking at the skylight, too, a thoughtful expression on her face as she chewed. Her tail still laid flat on the ground and instead her ears were twitching. That was…new. He'd never seen them behave like that before. Sometimes they reacted to loud sounds by flicking or swiveling in the correct direction, they would perk up if she was pleasantly surprised or happy, and they would flatten if she was really angry, but for the most part they remained straight up on her head and mostly or entirely still. He stared, utterly enraptured, and slowly ate his apple.

"Oh no!" Chat Noire blurted out after a full minute of silence, scaring the hell out of Ladybug so much he actually dropped his apple.

"Minou?" he gasped.

She was already working her claws around the edges of the skylight, her own apple clamped firmly in her teeth. There was a creak and she heaved. The skylight raised up like a hatch and he grabbed it, easing it towards the ground. Chat Noire pulled the apple from her mouth, tossed it over her shoulder, swung her legs through the opening, and dropped. Ladybug blinked and then his gaze slid to his forsaken apple. He stared mournfully at his lost snack for a moment.

His partner's voice floated up from below. "Monsieur Royer?"

With an irritated sigh, Ladybug followed her into the apartment. He landed on the floor and straightened up, just in time to see Chat Noire disappear down the stairs at the end of the hall.

"Don't worry, Monsieur Royer!" Chat Noire shouted. "We're coming!"

"Chat!" Ladybug called, chasing after her. "Chat!" He ran down the stairs, peeking over the bannister. "What are you doing?"

"Hurry, Bug!" The urgency in her tone alarmed him and he took the remaining steps two at a time. The second floor of the apartment looked much like the third; small, cramped, with two doors. One was closed, the other open, and he heard Chat Noire's voice from inside the latter.

"Chat?" He called again as he stepped into the doorway. Then he gasped.

Chat Noire knelt over an elderly man who was lying prone on the floor, surrounded by a mess of flour and a few broken eggs. From the looks of things, he must've been baking and taken a tumble. Chat Noire touched his face carefully. "Monsieur Royer," she said loudly. "Monsieur Royer, open your eyes."

Ladybug nearly slid on the flour as he darted over to them. He dropping to his knees, pressed his fingers to Clement Royer's pulse point, and waited. After a few seconds felt the skin flutter beneath his fingertips, a bit weak, but definitely there. He nodded once to Chat.

"Monsieur Royer!" Chat repeated loudly. The man groaned quietly and his eyes blinked open. "Can you hear me? Clement?"

The man gazed up at her blearily for a long moment. " _Vous êtes un ange très sombre._ "

"I'm not an angel," she told him. "I'm Chat Noire. Bug, go get help. He might have a concussion."

Ladybug nodded. "Will you be alright?"

"Don't worry, just go!"

He flew down the stairs so fast he was amazed he didn't trip. He raced through the small toy store that took up the entire bottom floor towards the door at the front. From there it was just a matter of figuring out how to unlock it then running out and yelling for someone to call 112.

Later, when the paramedics had come and gone with Monsieur Royer (a concussion, he'd probably be okay, but he'd been there for a while before they'd found him), the woman who ran the grocery next door had thanked them no less than a dozen times with tears in her eyes, and the two of them had retreated to the rooftops, Ladybug finally was able to point out the silver lining. "At least it wasn't him."

Chat Noire hummed in agreement. "Yeah. …You know, I'm not saying it's right for anyone to be turned into an akuma—but turning someone who's grieving is just _wrong._ "

"I know what you mean. I'd almost feel bad bringing the person back."

She looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, I mean, think about it. If they were hurting that much, don't you think being an akuma would be a relief? They wouldn't have to feel their grief anymore." Ladybug met her gaze. "It'd almost be a mercy."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I know we haven't seen very many yet but have any of them ever seemed happy to you? Really happy?"

Ladybug shook his head. Wickedly gleeful, yes. Maniacal, yes. Angry and bitter, yes. Happy, no.

"Seems to me, they'd just be trading one negative emotion for the other." Chat reasoned.

"Oh," he murmured. "I didn't think of it like that." He looked back out across the city. It'd been a few hours since they'd began and the sun was progressing steadily towards the western horizon.

Chat Noire let out a long and loud sigh. "I'm glad it wasn't him but we're back to square one again."

He grimaced. He was extremely lucky that this was one of his rare, free afternoons, or he would've been in trouble when he got home. Even still, they needed to hurry and wrap things up. Surely the akuma wouldn't stay hidden for _too_ much longer, right? They were bound to find something out sooner or later.

Ladybug's expression cleared, then, as something occurred to him. "Say…minou?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, sounding distracted.

He looked down at her curiously. She was staring at the cityscape intently. "How exactly did you know he needed help?"

Chat Noire was silent for a moment and then she looked at him with something like smugness on her face. "The same way I know there's an army of toy soldiers marching up the street five blocks away."

Ladybug blinked in surprise, glancing between her and the rooftops stretching out before them. "H-how…?"

A big grin stretched across her face, revealing white teeth and the tiniest hint of a pink tongue peeking out from behind. Blue, catlike eyes crinkled behind her mask and her tail curled upwards behind her back. Then she wiggled her cat ears up and down a few times pointedly and winked.

Oh. _Crap_.

_She's adorable._

All the air seemed to leave his lungs in a single exhale that she only just missed as she refocused on the point in the distance that had caught her attention. She reached for her yo-yo and flung it at something on the rooftop across the road, completely unaware of her partner having a complete mental failure not even two feet away. She turned again, hip cocked, eyes bright, and tail flicking back and forth.

"You coming, my lady?"

Ladybug nodded, not trusting himself to speak. She swung away and he struggled to swallow past his suddenly dry throat. His heart thudded in his chest.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap.

She was absolutely adorable and, oh, crap he was so _screwed_.

* * *

 


	2. Summer Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was falling hard and fast and the whole thing was just baffling to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING HERE THERE BE ORIGINS SPOILERS!!!** Nothing major but...yeah.

Adrien was slowly and meticulously compiling a list of things he knew about his partner. He respected her desire to not reveal their identities, as well as the logic behind the decision, but short of knowing who she was, he wanted to know her. She was careful but she'd let little details slip here and there. He knew she had two parents, she liked the shade of pink her collar was, she had no pets, she had gymnastics training, she loved summer, she could speak a little English, and she was an artist.

These little details were mostly insignificant but they helped him solidify her as a person in his mind. It was easy for him to forget, especially at first, when the only times he saw her were their secret rendezvous late at night, just the two of them and the rooftops of their city. She was almost like a dream, a wonderful, beautiful dream conjured by his lonely mind in the longest summer of his life. But after their first fight together, she became very, very real.

Adrien wondered what it was about her that was so alluring. Apart from his little list, he knew almost nothing about her, save her personality as Chat Noire. For all he knew, she was different without her mask—he certainly was. She was pretty, at least the part of her he could see, and she was cute enough to literally take his breath away. If she was like him, though, her physical appearance changed in the transformation.

Maybe it was because she was the only person who knew him as Ladybug or maybe because she was only the second friend he'd had. He'd never been allowed to become acquainted with children of lesser social status and only Chloe Bourgeois had ever bothered to be his friend. It was therefore ironic that his new best friend was lacking a pedigree.

Apart from a few subtle prying questions he'd dropped here and there, the real indicator was her knowledge of the city. They were both native Parisians but he had always kept in a cage while she had clearly been allowed to roam its streets. Chloe had been allowed out but she always used the benefits allowed by her social status. She almost never took the RER or the RATP, never ate anywhere 'common', and her favorite stores had designers only. Chat Noire would sometimes spare a kind word about certain cafes or restaurants they passed. She had vented about the busses and once complained about being late to a movie because she'd missed the metro. Then she'd told him she used to visit the toystore run by the elderly Royer couple and, when he thought back, the store had seemed more like the type that catered to locals rather than tourists.

All in all, the clues painted the picture of an average Parisian girl, definitely not someone his father would ever let him hang out with. But that was the best part! His father _couldn't_ screen and scrutinize her. No one could ever know about her (which was fine because he didn't want to share) but no one could ever take her away from him.

Chat Noire made the summer nights the highlight of his life. He started taking naps during his free time in the day so he could spend hours with her once the sun went down and still wake up early. The days he got to spend with her were almost just as good. Really, it was only the rampaging akuma that put a damper on things, though not by much. It helped that he liked the fighting. It was similar to the enjoyment he got from fencing only amplified. Fencing had strict rules and tactics and provisions in place to keep participants safe. Akuma battles were real in every sense of the word, including the stakes, and the knowledge of that heightened the experience. He relished the thrill of performing daring acrobatics, the banter, the adrenaline rush, and the praise from the citizens in the aftermath. Even more, he enjoyed having a partner. Fencing was a solo sport but when he fought as Ladybug, Chat Noire always had his back and he always had hers. There was no one else he'd rather have at his back.

Was it a bit ironic that he was drawn to the second person his age to ever show him any kind of affection? Probably. But she was just so—so…. He didn't have a word to describe her. The thought of seeing her made him smile and her smile made his heart beat a little faster. He liked looking at her, he enjoyed hearing her voice, and her laughter lit up even the darkest night. He didn't think that was how you felt about a platonic friend, not that he was an expert in such things. He certainly had never felt that way about Chloe.

The playfulness he'd had with her since the beginning evolved into flirting, a development he was unaware of until she called him out on it but by then it was too late to go back. He enjoyed it too much, even when she shot him down, and other than a bit of fluster and annoyance, she seemed okay with it.

She wasn't reciprocating like he wished she would but that was fine. They had only just met and there was plenty of time. For now, he would take what he could get.

 _…Ugh._ Sometimes he wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall. How the heck had this happened? He was falling hard and fast and the whole thing was just baffling to him. Tikki didn't seem too perturbed but she did caution him to guard his heart carefully. As a Miraculous wielder he was immune to akumas but no one was immune to the pain of heartbreak. They could not allow themselves to be divided by his feelings her. He did see the reasoning behind her warning and, as a lover of superheroes, he could think of a number of reasons why being romantically attached to (never mind _involved_ with) a teammate wasn't a good idea. But there were also plenty reasons why it would be. The lists were nearly equal in length.

It was a pickle, all right, and Adrien had no idea what to do about it. He just knew he couldn't stop his heart from doing what it wanted. He would figure out eventually…. Hopefully. In the meantime, he would just enjoy being with her. It was all he could do.

As the best summer of his life progressed merrily along, September began to loom and with it, the prospect of a new school year. Chloe would be beginning her last year of collége and his tutoring would resume. He was not looking forward to it. He wanted to go to school like other kids did. He wanted to be around other children, he wanted more than just one friend, and he wanted to learn what it was like to be a _teenager._ He wanted teachers not tutors, classmates, desks, group projects, and all those other things Chloe liked to complain about.

He told Chloe he wanted to join her at school and she was positively ecstatic about the idea, encouraging him to ask his father. Maybe if he knew Chloe went there then he would feel better about Adrien attending. But Adrien his father would never allow it, even before he asked. Even before he begged and pleaded to attend school, just for a year. A trimester. Anything. As expected, his father shut him down.

Say what you will about Chloe Bourgeois but the girl had a talent for getting what she wanted and she had decided that what Adrien wanted was what she wanted. His father's disapproval was inconsequential to her and Adrien both admired and feared her ability to simply dismiss the verdict of _Gabriel Agreste_ as if he were nothing more than an annoying fly. If Adrien wanted to go to school, then she vowed to see to it that he would.

He told her he'd think about it.

It was a huge risk. He had no doubt Chloe could get him enrolled in school if she said she could but actually attending would be a different matter altogether. He would actually have to sneak out, for one, and the more he thought about it, the more implausible the whole thing seemed.

Adrien considered asking Chat Noire for her opinion on what to do but this was something personal, perhaps too personal, and she probably wouldn't appreciate him trying to bring his civilian life to the table like that.

In the end, he deiced that he wanted to try school at least once, even if he only got one day before he was dragged back home and summarily grounded for the rest of his childhood.

The following morning, he gave Chloe the green light and she went to town. Next thing he knew, she was presenting him with papers showing his enrollment in le Collége Francois Dupont, a list of school supplies he'd need, and his textbooks. He hid the textbooks amongst the others in his bookshelves. There were only two things on the list that he didn't have and Chloe quickly procured them for him. They were then hidden at the bottom of his desk drawers.

As September and school drew steadily closer, however, he began to realize that these weeks of bliss with his partner were coming to an end. With school standing to take up a good portion of his day, plus homework, fencing, and photoshoots, his free time would soon dwindle down to almost nonexistence. He wouldn't be able to nap easily and spend hours and hours out every night. If he was right and she was close to his age then she, too, would soon find herself more occupied than before.

Neither of them said anything about it, though. Their nightly or every-other nightly jaunts continued as normal and with each passing metting, he felt himself falling a little more in love. What was he going to do? The thought of losing this precious time with her made his stomach flip horribly. He didn't want their encounters to be limited to just battles but he knew that things could not continue as they were.

He was a little surprised Chat Noire hadn't hinted at anything yet. Was she planning to just stop showing up at night without explanation? Were they _really_ going to be keeping their civilian identities that far apart? Of course it could be something completely different. She could be homeschooled. Perhaps she was older than him and assumed he was out of school, too, because who would expect _children_ to be the superheroes of Paris? Either way, it seemed like it was going to be up to him to bring up the topic, somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah it's short but the next one is coming soon :)


	3. Jouer á Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any opportunity to see her with her guard down was precious, which was why he thoroughly enjoyed their games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...here we are. Day 1 into the wait for season 2. I'm...okay. Mad AF at certain parts of the finale...but I'm okay. For now.

Ladybug arrived at their meeting place a little later than usual (entirely due to the fact he'd spent a few minutes psyching himself up before leaving his room) and found her already waiting for him. She crouched on top of the pink chimney, her tail dangling down behind her, flicking from side to side a little more forcefully than usual. He grimaced, wondering if that meant she was angry. She hadn't turned when he landed but her ears swiveled towards him so he knew that she knew he was there. She just wasn't acknowledging him.

Her tail lashed to the side and his eyes followed it automatically, which was how he came to notice that she wasn't alone.

The skinny calico bounded after the tail and pounced, only to realize that it had missed its prey by a mere second. Chat Noire's tail dangled overhead, just out of its line of sigh, and the calico whipped its head back and forth, searching. She lowered her tail enough to tap the cat's head and it looked up sharply, trying to bite it. Chat Noire's tail went gliding away again and the calico tore off after it.

_Oh my god._ She was using her tail to play with the cat! Ladybug laughed out loud and the poor calico sprang backwards in alarm. It stared at him, green eyes wide, and back stiff.

Chat Noire sighed, finally turning to look at him. "Nice going, Bug."

She carefully climbed down and scooped the calico up in her arms. It mewled and wriggled in her arms until it was more comfortable, then its green orbs fixed on him again apprehensively. Chat Noire scratched its ears affectionately and cooed softly at it. When the cat meowed back half a second later Ladybug just about lost it.

She was a cat person. Of _course_ she was a cat person.

"I-I didn't know you had a cat," he stammered.

"I don't, actually," Chat Noire said. "This little guy wandered over right about when I got here. He's very friendly. Wanna pet him?"

"Sure." Ladybug walked towards them but when he got close, the cat narrowed his eyes and growled softly in its chest. Ladybug stopped dead.

"Hey," Chat protested with a frown. She tapped the cat lightly on the nose, cutting off the growl. "Stop that. There's nothing to be scared of."

The cat huffed and looked away from him, very pointedly in Ladybug's opinion. Chat Noire sighed and gave him an apologetic look. He carefully ran his hand along the cat's back, starting at the top of his head and ending at the base of his tail. And again. Chat Noire resumed her ear scratches and within a few short seconds, a tell-tale rumble began to build in the cat's throat.

"There," she crooned. "That's a good boy. See? He's a nice person."

The cat purred louder in response.

"If I didn't know any better, minou," Ladybug began slyly, "I'd say he could understand you."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"That's quite an interesting _paw_ er," he went on, ignoring the look she shot him. "Cat whisperer. Not sure how it'd be useful in combat, though, unless we get a mouse akuma. Or a bird akuma."

"You do know cats chase bugs, too, right?"

He leaned closer, smirking. His hand stilled on the cat's back. "Planning on chasing me, minou?"

She narrowed her eyes but her ears remained upright. "I might if you keep that up."

They stared at each other for a moment and he felt his smirk turning smug and she seemed torn between maintaining her scowl and grinning. She broke eye contact first, giving the cat one more rub, and set it down on the ground. Then she poked him quite firmly in the shoulder. Ladybug rocked back in surprise. A grin of utter mischief spread across her face and she took a single step back.

"You're it."

Then she was gone and Ladybug was still trying to understand what she meant. He watched her flee, glancing over her shoulder at him, and then he got it.

_Tag, you're it_.

Ladybug laughed out loud and raced after her.

When they first began, when they were still unsure of themselves and their duty, she had been as playful as he was but after a few akuma battles, the initial euphoria of being a superhero had faded for her and she revealed herself to be a serious, dedicated hero and a natural leader. They had never discussed it, he simply chose to defer to her since she seemed to have a knack for thinking on her feet and he, the good son and model, was used to taking direction and adapting quickly. He let her set the patrol routes. In battle, he looked to her for direction. She hadn't let him down yet.

He understood the necessity of the change in her, which was why he took it upon himself to remain playful. One of them needed to be. But any opportunity to see her with her guard down was precious, which was why he thoroughly enjoyed their games. Sometimes they would simply chase each other, sometimes it was more of a game of hide and seek, but it always resulted in plenty of Chat smiles and laughs which he echoed.

_I'm going to miss this_ , he thought to himself as he flipped over a chimney. The thought was sobering and his eyes flicked to her form several yards ahead of him. (She was running upright which told him she was planning on letting him catch her. If she went down on all fours then it was _on_.) He didn't want to give up his nights with her but if Chloe's insane plan worked, then it was going to be hell trying to juggle school, his extracurriculars, and whatever modeling gigs his father had him do, never mind being a masked superhero on top of that.

If only they could meet as their civilian selves. They could hang out or at least text each other throughout the day. It would make up for not being able to see her as much in the future. But she wouldn't go for it and he knew it so he wasn't even going to bother asking. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable or pressure her. One day, hopefully, but it would be on her terms.

"Tired already?" she taunted and he realized he'd slowed down.

A wicked grin flashed across his face and he picked up speed, lunging at her with a powerful jump. She shrieked a laugh and dropped onto all fours to give herself the burst of speed necessary to escape him. It was on.

He was briefly tempted to bring out his wings but that was almost cheating and he preferred catching her this way. And he would, eventually. Either she'd slip up or he would outwit her but sooner or later, the cat would be in the bag.

Later, when they were exhausted from having run around the entirety central Paris at least once, they collapsed in a small place were sloped rooftops met and waited for their panting to stop and their hearts to slow. Chat's cheeks were flushed from exertion, her blue eyes gleamed the gloom, her lips curled into a smile despite everything else. Paris buzzed with life and beauty around them but in his eyes, even like this, she outshined even the Eiffel Tower.

She caught him looking and nudged his leg with her boot, flashing him her brightest smile, accompanied by a giggle of delight.

His breathing hitched. God, was she even real?

Her smile faded a little. "You okay?"

_No. I'm falling in love with you and I have no idea what to do._ "Yeah! Fine. Just tired from that."

She laughed again and nudged his leg with her foot. "And we still have to get home."

That wouldn't be a problem. From the size of the Eiffel Tower, he was only maybe a ten minute jog from his house. He was more concerned about her; she could have to go all the way to the 19th arrondissement for all he knew.

"Oh well," he said. "I didn't hear any screaming, my guess is there were no akuma."

She hummed in agreement and rested her head against the rooftop again. She stared at the sky and he stared at her and wondered how to tell her. He didn't want to lose time with her but he wanted school just as badly…maybe even more. On the off-chance Chloe's crazy plan worked, he needed Chat to be prepared. He had to tell her tonight. Before she left. Preferably now. Now, now, before he lost his nerve—

"Ladybug?" she blurted out at the same time he said, "Hey, Chat?"

He blinked and craned his neck. They gawked at each other for a moment. "You first," he told her.

Chat Noire nodded. "Okay, um. I've got something I need to tell you."

"I'm listening."

She exhaled loudly. "I don't know if you are but…I'm still young enough to be a student…and school starts for me in a few weeks. So, um…this…us every night…it's not going to work much longer."

Ladybug blinked rapidly. "You're kidding me," he blurted out. She flinched and looked away, which quickly had him backpedaling. "Wait, no. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just—I was going to tell you the same thing.

Her head whipped around. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Yeah! School, two weeks, can't be up every night. The whole thing."

Chat Noire grinned and laughed again, smacking her hands against the roof. "Oh my God. Oh my God. I've been trying to tell you all week and this whole time—wow. I guess that makes this a lot easier."

"Loads," he agreed with a relieved exhale. "Lucky us."

"So how's this going to work, then? Patrols every other night together or we alternate nights so there's always one of out."

Ladybug considered it for a minute. "I like that second one, as long as we can still meetup on the weekends."

"Deal. But I am not doing Sundays. That's all on you, Bug."

"Why?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Chat Noire scowled and her ears turned backwards. "Mondays," she growled as if the mere concept was a personal offense of the highest order. "Are bad enough when I've had a full night's sleep."

The look of utter loathing on her face alone might have been enough for him to accept her condition without further questioning. He knew he had missed out on plenty of things being a homeschooled kid all his life but…surely Mondays couldn't be _that_ bad?

…Right?

…But just in case…

"How about neither of us do Sunday so we can be well rested for the week?" he proposed.

Chat readily agreed. Patrolling was mostly cautionary and more of a chance to hang out and learn together, if they were both being honest. One night off wouldn't be a crime. They decided to patrol Fridays or Saturdays together, maybe both, but the rest of the week they would figure out once school had started and they were sure what their schedules would be.

He went home feeling much lighter than he had when he set out. Not only had that gone far better than he'd anticipated, but he had another precious detail about his _minou_ to add to his list. She was close to his age. She could possibly be a university student but she had all but admitted to not knowing her schedule and he was pretty sure university students knew about those well in advance. So she was likely a _Lycée_ student at most and if she was younger than him, he highly doubted it was by more than a year.

When he arrived back in his room, Adrien de-transformed and went to fetch cookies for Tikki from the stash he kept. The red kwami wasn't too tired since she hadn't been called upon to use her powers but Adrien made a habit of making sure she was fed after every transformation.

"That went well," Tikki chirped. "I told you had nothing to worry about."

"Did you know she was a student?" he asked. He knelt down by his drawer where he kept the cookies and pulled it open.

Tikki shrugged noncommittally. "I had my suspicions. Plagg and I are meant to work together and humans tend to work better with people in their age-group. Anything else would lead to a power difference, especially since you're a teenager."

Adrien paused in his rummaging and glanced at the kwami on his shoulder. "I guess that makes sense," he replied after a moment. Then he pulled a sugar cookie out of the bag and handed it to her.

He left her to her meal and went to shower. When he emerged from his bathroom, dressed in his pajamas, Tikki was sitting on the desk and reading something on his computer screen. Rubbing his hair with the towel, he went around to have a look at what had captured her attention and saw, to his surprise, that she was reading the Ladyblog. The fanblog had caught their attention a few weeks ago after Chat Noire had grumbled about that 'darn blog' having pictures of them and he'd decided to investigate. Upon discovering it, he'd been flattered.

It was run by some girl named Alya who was strangely dedicated to her work and alarmingly persistent in her efforts to get photos and interviews with them. Just the other day she had come running over to them after a battle to beg for an interview. He was going to deny her request on principle but Chat Noire had promptly hissed in annoyance and leaped to the rooftops, with Ladybug right on her heels. They agreed no interviews before parting ways.

Adrien was quickly becoming convinced that Alya was some sort of mastermind hacker or at least an army of followers. How else did the girl always seem to know where and when things were going down? How else could she _already_ have pictures of their escapades from this evening? There were at least half a dozen pictures of them, some from the street and others from windows, from different parts of Paris, of the two of them playing tag. Most of them weren't high quality.

_Important Mission or Intense Game of Tag?_

_Paris' superheroes were spotted tonight all across the city, seemingly in pursuit of something. Or perhaps each other? Did Paris just bear witness to its largest game of tag ever? Considering there were no reports of any akuma, I think it may have!_

Adrien grabbed the mouse, guided the cursor to his favorite picture of the bunch—Chat Noire was mid-leap and he had his hand out to tag her, their exuberant expressions clearly visible—and saved it to his computer. While it was saving, he yawned loudly.

"You should get some sleep," Tikki advised. "You have that photoshoot in the park in…" she checked the clock on the screen, "eight hours."

Adrien groaned.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

" _Ouais._ "

"Don't worry. Just as long as you remember to smile, you'll be okay."

That brought a smile to his face and he gently rubbed the top of Tikki's smooth head. "Thanks, Tikki." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jouer á chat is the name for "tag" in French. It also makes a relevant pun. :D

**Author's Note:**

> OK SO LET ME SAY STRAIGHT AWAY: I have seen the Origins episode and I am aware that certain parts of this fic no longer work with canon but I don't give two shits. It's an AU. I DO WHAT I WANT. That being said, I am going to accommodate certain aspects of the information from the Origins episode. Nothing major, not yet - don't worry. And there are some (like that thing about Alya) that I am disregarding entirely. 
> 
> I'm saying this now because THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL REFERENCE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE ORIGINS. It's nothing important, honest, you might not even catch it except in hindsight, but it is from the origins and since I know some people want to avoid any spoilers, I'm telling you now.


End file.
